


Not Your Scene

by ManyFandomsOneLog



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: (it is), Alternate Universe - High School, And So Is Virgil, Corona doesn’t exist in this universe so people can have parties, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Halloween, Is it mutual? We’ll have to see.., M/M, Pining, Remus is done with his brother, Roman is a disaster gay, Roman is a simp, Sibling Banter, and a theatre kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27338491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManyFandomsOneLog/pseuds/ManyFandomsOneLog
Summary: It’s Halloween, and the Reyes twins are hosting the Annual Reyes Spooktacular Party. However, Roman is having trouble focusing on the party due to a certain stage tech.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Comments: 27
Kudos: 121





	1. The Invitation

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s a fun Halloween story I wrote. It’s a day late, but whatever. 
> 
> Warnings: Language, Remus being inappropriate (like always)

It was Halloween and, for Remus and Roman Reyes, this meant only one thing: the Annual Reyes Spooktacular Party. The Annual Reyes Spooktacular Party was the craziest, loudest, spookiest, most extravagant Halloween party in town. Not only that, but it was hosted by The Reyes Twins- two of the most popular kids in school. 

Their parents’ anniversary just so happened to be October 29, and so, being ridiculously rich, they went on a week-long cruise every year, leaving their two sons all alone in their huge house. Given the circumstances, Roman and Remus both agreed that they really had _no choice_ but to throw a party while their parents were away every year.

The reputation of the party came mostly from Remus. He never failed to pull some insane antic at the party- not that Roman hadn’t had his fair share of stupid decisions and attention-seeking dares, but it was never at the same level as Remus. 

Needless to say, when it came to planning the Annual Reyes Spooktacular Party, the expectations were high. It was one of the only instances in which the twins worked together, and when they did that, they were a force to be reckoned with. Typically, they divided the work between them, Roman covering decorations, music, and food, while Remus covered entertainment, lights, and drinks. This year, however, Roman’s mind wasn’t on the correct number of balloons or the speaker system for the party. To put it one way, he was having trouble focusing, as of late.

For example, right now.

“Have you gotten a good enough look at Virgil’s ass yet?”

Roman’s head snapped away from where he had been staring, his face bright red, “I- What- I wasn’t- _Excuse_ me?!”

“I asked if you’d gotten a good enough look at Virgil’s ass yet. I mean, surely you’ve memorized it by now, seeing as you’ve been ignoring me to stare at it for five minutes now!”

“Shh!” Roman shushed, looking over his shoulder. “Will you keep your voice down!”

A grin split into Remus’s face, “Oh, so you don’t want VIRGIL SPARROW to know that you think he has a FANTASTIC-“

Before he could finish speaking, Roman clamped a hand over his mouth, shutting him up. This solution, however, was temporary. Almost immediately, Roman felt the wet sensation of a tongue on his hand, causing him to move it away from his twin’s mouth as quickly as possible, retching. As Remus cackled, Roman wiped his hand on his pants, frantically trying to get off any remnant of his brother’s mouth. In all honesty, he should’ve seen that coming. Remus had been pulling that trick since they were four.

After Remus had stopped cackling, Roman spoke up.

“For your information, dearest of brothers, I _wasn’t_ staring at his ass.” 

Remus winked, “Of _course_ you weren’t!”

Roman felt his face heating up again, “I really wasn’t! I was looking at his face!”

Remus looked at him skeptically, “His face. Really?”

“Have you seen his angular jaw? The far-away expression he wears?” Roman’s tone turned dreamy, “The way the light casts soft shadows under his sharp cheekbones.. The way his purple hair falls perfectly over his eyes.. His long brown lashes-“

Remus rolled his eyes so hard that he somehow managed to incorporate his entire body into the gesture, “I fucking hate theatre kids.” He said. Then, he bent down and opened his backpack.

“That seems unfair.” Roman said, scowling.

Remus ignored him in favor of rummage through his bag. Whatever he was looking for, it could be days before it was found. Remus’s bag was a nuclear waste zone of mud, deodorant, loose papers, and countless other unimaginable horrors. 

By some miracle of luck, though, Remus seemed to find what he was looking for in the span of a few moments. His arms emerged carrying a small stack of orange and purple card stock. Having helped design them himself, Roman recognized them on sight: invitations to the Annual Reyes Spooktacular Party. 

Technically, everyone at the high school was invited to the Spooktacular, as long as you hadn’t done anything to piss off the Reyes twins. In that regard, the invitations were more like informational flyers, than anything. They told the reader everything they needed to know about the party, including the address (which most people knew already), the time, and the theme.

Still, invitation or not, Remus took one from the top and handed it to Roman.

Roman rose an eyebrow at him, “What’s this for?” He asked.

Remus rolled his eyes again, which showed that he was spending too much time with Janus lately, “Go and invite him to the party, dipshit!” Remus told him. Roman opened his mouth to speak, but Remus went on before he could say anything, “And don’t even pretend like this is some new idea to you. I’ve heard you rehearsing the speech you’re going to say to him for the past _three nights_.”

Roman shut his mouth. 

Remus wasn’t wrong. He _had_ been wanting to personally invite Virgil to the party. He’d been planning and rehearsing and running it through his head a thousand times- yet at every single opportunity to ask, he chickened out. 

It was ridiculous. By all accounts, it should be easy. Roman was one of the most popular kids in the school, co-hosting the _best_ Halloween party in town! It should be the easiest thing in the world to invite Virgil.

And yet..  
There was something fundamentally intimidating about Virgil. Not intimidating as in actually frightening- well, maybe at first, but not _anymore_. He was intimidating in the fact that, to Roman, at least, he was just so _cool_. 

He wasn’t cool in the way Roman was cool. He wasn’t loud. He wasn’t popular. In fact, he didn’t seem to have made any friends since he’d moved here. He wasn’t effortless, either. He exuded nervous energy, always tapping his fingers and shifting his feet and bouncing his leg.

But.. fuck, his name was _Virgil Sparrow_. He had _purple hair_. That was fucking amazing. And he was so.. quiet.. So.. mysterious. So _unpredictable_.

Roman first met him when he was auditioning for the part of Romeo in _Romeo and Juliet_. The moment was practically burned into Roman’s mind. 

Roman had been waiting backstage for the person ahead of him to finish their audition, when Virgil Sparrow walked into his field of view for the first time. He was wearing an all-black stage tech outfit with a pair of headphones on his head, and the stage lights behind him caused his purple hair glow, making him look almost angelic. 

He gave Roman a half-smile, probably because of he dumbfounded expression on his face, and said in his deep, raspy voice, “Break a leg, Romeo.”

Roman had been so flustered that he forgot his lines and completely botched the audition.

After such a disastrous first interaction, Roman had to come up with a way to defend himself, quick. Eventually, he was able to figure out that the only way he could talk to Virgil without making a complete fool of himself was if he picked on him. For the most part, this worked swimmingly. For one thing, Virgil was not offended by Roman’s teasing in the slightest. As quick as Roman could sling insults and nicknames at Virgil, Virgil could sling back a retort, twice as fast. For as quiet as he was, he had no qualms when it came to roasting Roman into the next planet.

And Roman loved him for it. Or, if Roman was being over-dramatic, as he tended to be, he at least really, really liked him.

And that was what made him so intimidating. Because Roman _really_ didn’t want to mess this up.

Which is why finding himself walking to Virgil’s locker was nothing short of terrifying. 

By the time Roman realized what he was doing, it was too late to turn back. In his mind, he grasped desperately for the lines that he had rehearsed so painstakingly, time after time, but he came up blank. Fuck. He’d have to hope that his improv lessons had paid off.

Just as Virgil closed the door to his locker, Roman leaned a hand against those beside him, flashing a winning smile.

“How’s my favorite emo stage tech doing this fine Halloween?”

Virgil jumped backwards, startled, “Jesus fuck-“ As he saw who it was, he relaxed a little, shaking his head. “Christ, Romeo, don’t sneak up on me like that!” He said.

“My apologies, Your Travesty.” Roman said. He removed his arm from the lockers in order to shift into a deep bow.

As he came up from his bow, he caught the tail-end of a fond eye roll from Virgil, which made his confidence grow a little.

“I did not mean to startle you, but simply to inquire whether you have any plans for tonight.” Roman said.

Virgil blinked, “For Halloween?” He said. He looked down at his nails, which were painted black and orange. “I mean, I have a costume, but I don’t think I’m going anywhere.. I was mostly just planning to dress up and pass out candy with my dads, maybe watch a movie afterwards.” He chuckled. “Uh, I guess that probably sounds pretty lame to you, though. Don’t you have some big party that you and your brother host?”

Roman beamed, “Yes! That’s, um, that’s actually what I came here to talk to you about!” He held up the orange and purple invitation and, with flourish, held it out to Virgil.

Virgil stared at the invitation like it was cheesecake from Mars, blinking. He didn’t say anything for several seconds.

“You.. You’re inviting me to your Halloween party?” Virgil’s voice was soft.

“I.. yeah? I mean, kind of. Technically, everyone’s invited.” Roman said, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

“Oh.” Virgil said. Roman didn’t miss the disappointment in his voice. “I.. appreciate the offer, but I.. Big parties aren’t really.. my scene. I’m probably better off at home. I’m sure you can find some other guests to invite, though.”

“But I want you to come!” Roman blurted. The words came out a lot more desperate than he intended them to, and he felt himself blush. “I.. I mean.. It would just mean a lot. I’d love- I’d like to see you there.”

Virgil raised an eyebrow, “Really?”

Roman’s face reached critical levels of heat, and he brushed his curls out of his eyes, trying to play it off. “Yeah, I mean.. you.. you could be worse, Brendon Worry.”

Virgil smiled, “Thanks.. I think. You’re not too bad yourself, Romeo.”

For a moment, Roman’s brain short-circuited, and he stood in stunned silence, his stomach doing flips inside his body. Virgil continued to smile at him, which didn’t help matters.

After a few seconds, Roman was able to form coherent thoughts again, and he grinned at Virgil, “Does that mean you’ll come?” He asked.

Virgil’s smile dimmed a little, “I...” He hesitated, and Roman’s grin widened expectantly, trying to look as convincing as possible. Finally, Virgil sighed, “..Sure.” He said.

Roman had the sudden, overbearing urge to jump into the air and break into song, but, thankfully, he managed to restrain himself. Instead, he said, “Fabulous!” And, before Virgil could respond, pulled him into a quick hug. 

“See you at the party!” Roman said over his shoulder as he half-walked, half-skipped back to his twin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for the Annual Reyes Spooktacular Party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I’m pulling a Thomas and posting Halloween content in Christmas time. 
> 
> TW: Speeding mention, Remus being reckless (ask to tag), sensory overload

Roman had never been so excited in his life. Well, okay- maybe when he went to DisneyWorld for the first time.. or when he got to see _Hamilton_ on Broadway.. or when he got the lead male role in _Cinderella_ \- alright, so maybe he _had_ been this excited before, but _the point was_ that he was tremendously excited for Virgil to come to the Annual Reyes Spooktacular Party. 

After inviting Virgil to the party, Roman spent the rest of the day with his head in the clouds. He daydreamed about half-smiles and brown eyes. He doodled hearts in the margins of his papers. He hummed a love song under his breath. 

His giddy nature was shared by nearly the entire student body. After all, it was Halloween! Luckily, the teachers knew this and, for the most part, took it pretty easy on their students. 

But despite all of this, the day dragged by. The closer it got to the end of school, the longer it seemed to take for each second to pass. By the time last hour had arrived, the entire school was buzzing with anticipation. Roman couldn’t help but be reminded of the opening scene of High School Musical 2, with all of the students staring at the clock, but instead of chanting “ _summer_ ”, they were chanting “ _Halloween, Halloween, Halloween_ ”. 

Until finally, _finally_ the bell rang, and they were free. 

..Except Roman actually _wasn’t_ free, because he still had cross-country after school.

 _After a long, tiring cross country practice_ , Roman was free.

Immediately, he rushed to his car to drive home. He blasted the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, remembering how Virgil had Jack and Sally pins on his backpack. Besides, it was the perfect Halloween music. There was a chance that he maybe went a _little bit_ over the speed limit, but, if so, there was no proof of such an action.

When he finally arrived home, preparations were already underway. Remus and a small team of their mutual friends were putting up fake cobwebs and orange streamers. In fact, Remus was already in costume. This year, he was dressed as a sexy plumber, a costume that Roman had never thought existed until Remus told him about it. Five minutes into starting to help prepare, Roman had already heard enough inappropriate jokes about pipes for a lifetime.

There was a lot to do before the Spookctacular. In the decoration aspect alone, there were streamers to put up, balloons to blow, bloodstains to fake, jack-o-lanterns to light, and electronic monsters to set up. Then, there was the food, the drinks, the lights, the music..

Basically, there were plenty of things to keep Roman’s mind occupied and to help the time pass before the party. 

In fact, his mind was so occupied that, not long before it was time for the guests to start arriving, Roman realized that he had forgotten something. 

He glared at Remus, “Were you just not going to tell me that I forgot to put on my costume?” 

Remus smirked, “I thought maybe you were trying something new.” He said.

“I hate you.” Roman said. 

His brother’s laughter followed him as he rushed up the stairs to his bedroom to change. 

Roman prided himself on his Halloween costumes. When it came to dramatics, he was a strong believer in go big, or go home. And while he couldn’t necessarily compete in the costume contest, being a judge, it was important to him that all the contestants knew that if he was competing, he would win.

Each year, Roman actually prepared three costumes, and he decided which one he would wear on the day of Halloween. With Virgil going to the party, he didn’t want to go with something like a werewolf, or a mummy, or a zombie- nothing that would cover up his gorgeous features. He would need all of his charm, tonight.

Roman’s eyes landed on one of his options, and he smiled.

What better for charm than a prince?

He got changed as quickly as possible. The costume was composed of white pants, brown boots, a flowing red cape, a white shirt with gold shoulder tassels, and a bright red sash. He also put on a brown belt and holster for his prop sword, which he had owned for years and thought looked incredibly realistic.

Once he had finished changing, Roman headed to his vanity to do hair and makeup. His hair already looked fantastic, which was good because he really didn’t have the time to refix it. This left him with makeup. In his personal opinion, makeup was _the_ most important element of a good Halloween costume. You could wear any old outfit, but the makeup was the element that really made it work. He started with a light layer of foundation, a light brown color, to match his skin. Then, he added some contour, putting specific emphasis on his cheekbones. He wanted to look as regal as possible, after all. After that, he did a few other basic elements- some blush, some concealer, all of that. 

He put on some dark red lipstick, which matched nicely with the sash and cape, and for the finishing touch, he coated his eyes with gold, glittery eyeshadow.

Once he was finished, he admired his reflection in the mirror, and.. _wow_. He pulled off the prince look _well_. Roman self-assuredly adjusted his sash one last time before heading down the stairs.

In the time it had taken for him to get ready, quite a few guests had already arrived. Roman could hear the sound of music playing and people talking, so he came down the stairs with flair, unsheathe for his sword and brandishing it in the airs

“Greetings!” Roman called as he came into the view of the people downstairs.

The guests’ faces lit up as they saw him, some of them calling out “Aaayye!” and “Roman!”

Roman smiled. It was nice to be appreciated.

However, he was looking to be appreciated by one person in particular.. 

Roman scanned the small crowd for purple hair. He didn’t see Virgil anywhere, though. Which was fine. That was to be expected. Roman was fairly sure- he checked the time, and yes- it was still technically four minutes until the party started. The guests currently here were early arrivals. Roman thought that arriving early to a party early was a little odd, but he didn’t object to it much. Besides, he recognized all of them as either his or Remus’s friends, which meant they were definitely allowed to arrive early. 

Speaking of friends, Roman spotted one of his cross-country teammates dressed in an absolutely _fantastic_ superhero costume, and he made his way over to him to go and say hello.

Once the set party time arrived, guests rushed the Reyes house like they were invading the place. Roman spent several minutes greeting people, but he eventually gave up and allowed himself to be whisked into the party. 

It didn’t take long for the party to be in full-swing. Colored lights flashed and _The Monster Mash_ blasted through the speakers as dozens of teenagers dressed in an array of costumes danced, talked, and drank. (Though Remus was the one doing most of the drinking.) 

In the center of large circle of kids, Roman was having a sword fight. His friend Katelyn, a fellow theatre kid, had showed up in an incredibly dashing knight costume, which meant that she also had a prop sword. Naturally, that meant that they had to duel. 

Their peers cheered them on as they clashed weapons, both of them laughing and attempting to out-do one another dramatically.

“Surrender, Your Majesty! I do not wish to kill a prince!” Katelyn said.

“Ha!” Roman exclaimed, “I do not think that is a circumstance you will have to worry about, Lady Katelyn!”

She took a stab at him, and he parried, both of them calling out more insults and winning lines of dialogue. Eventually, both of them grew tired, and they handed their swords off to two others who wished to duel. As the new duo began, Katelyn turned to Roman.

“Is there a place where we can get some water?” She asked.

At the mere mention, Roman realized how thirsty he was, and he nodded, “Yeah, this way.” 

He led Katelyn through the crowd over to the kitchen, which was the central area for food and refreshments. On the counters, there were nachos, chips, bags of candy, and all sorts of other foods, along with several two-liter bottles of soda. The rest of the drinks were in the fridge or in the cooler. Roman reached down and took out two bottles of water from the cooler, tossing one to Katelyn, who caught it easily. 

“Thanks.” She said, uncapping it.

Roman smiled, “Of course.” He said. “You fought valiantly, Lady-“ He stopped.

Katelyn rose an eyebrow, “Is something wrong?” She asked.

Roman stayed frozen in place, staring ahead. There, behind her, was Virgil. He was here! Not only was he here, but he was in costume.

Virgil was dressed in a decadent black cloak over a black suit with a patterned maroon undershirt. White frill poked out of his sleeves around his hands, one of which wore a purple glove, and the other occupied with putting tortilla chips into his mouth. His face was coated in white foundation, along with black lipstick and eyeshadow. 

Roman felt a blush creeping up his neck.

Virgil Sparrow was dressed as a vampire, and he looked absolutely stunning.

Katelyn followed Roman’s eyes to where Virgil stood, and she smirked.

“Oh, _I_ see. It’s that quiet guy you’re obsessed with.”

“SHH!” Roman hurriedly ushered her out of the kitchen. As soon as they were out of sight, he hissed, “I’m not _obsessed_ with him!”

Katelyn laughed, “Right, of _course_ not. Which is why you’re having a gay panic right now.”

Roman scowled at her, but didn’t argue. She was right, after all. Instead, he frantically pulled at his costume, “Does my hair look alright?” He asked, running a hand through it.

Katelyn rolled her eyes, “I may be gay, but even I know you look gorgeous. Now _go get him_.” With that, she shoved him back towards the kitchen.

Roman stumbled forward with a half-concealed yelp, but when he glared over his shoulder at his friend, she had disappeared. 

Roman took a deep breath. Okay. This was it. This was his moment. He could do this. He was Roman Reyes. Of _course_ he could do this!

He took a few steps forward until he was right behind Virgil, “Boo!”

Virgil started, immediately whirling around to punch Roman in the arm, “Will you stop doing that?!”

Roman laughed, “My apologies, Edward Sullen, but in my defense, it _is_ Halloween.”

Virgil smiled, revealing sharp fangs that Roman assumed to be fake, “I guess that’s true.” He said.

There was a brief pause in which their eyes met. Quickly, Roman looked away, feeling his face heat up, “So, uh, how long have you been here? I kind of assumed that you weren’t going to show.”

Virgil shrunk a little, “Oh, yeah, I’m really sorry- My dads got, like, really excited when they found out that I was invited to a party by a friend. They kept fussing over me and insisting on taking my picture and telling me to call them and-“ Virgil scratched at the back of his neck, “Um, anyways. I ended up being pretty late. I got here maybe ten minutes ago, but by the time I did, I, uh, couldn’t really find you, and I didn’t want to ask anyone, so I just sort of.. Ended up here. Like I said, big parties aren’t really, uh..”

“Your scene?” Roman finished, a smile playing at his lips.

Virgil laughed, “Yeah.”

“Well I’m glad you made it.” Roman told him.

“Really?” Virgil asked. “It doesn’t really make that much of a difference, does it? I mean,” Virgil gestured to the rest of the party, “You’ve got plenty of guests.” 

Roman blinked, “Well, yes, I suppose that’s true, but.. I mean.. None of them are.. you.”

Virgil’s brow furrowed, and he looked at Roman strangely, tilting his head, “What does that mean?”

“Well, I, uh, ya know. I, uh-“ Roman cleared his throat, chucking nervously, “Do you wanna go dance or something?”

Virgil laughed, “Nice question-dodging there, Prince Charming. I’m not really much of a dancer, though.”

“Please?” Roman begged, giving Virgil his best puppy eyes.

“Agh! Not that again!” Virgil cried, covering his eyes. “That’s what got me into this mess!”

Roman smiled and reached up to pry Virgil’s hands away from his face, moving closer to force Virgil to look at him, “Pretty please with a cherry on top?”

Virgil let out a groan, “Okay, okay, I’ll try my best.” He said. 

Roman let out a triumphant cheer and pulled Virgil over to the living room, which was the Spooktacular equivalent to a dance floor.

Virgil’s purple hair glowed in the flashing lights, and his hand was warm in Roman’s. Once they found a nice spot, Roman stopped, causing Virgil to stop, too.

Virgil said something to him, but it was drowned out by the sounds of the speakers blasting and other partygoers talking.

“What?!” Roman shouted.

Virgil shook his head, “Nevermind.” He mouthed.

They danced- or rather, Roman danced, and Virgil shuffled back and forth self-consciously- for a while. It was fun, if a little awkward. After a little while, Roman even saw a smile appear on his face.

“Roman!” A voice yelled.

Roman looked around until he saw a hand sticking up in the crowd, which was connected to someone he vaguely knew. ..One of Remus’s friends.

“What is it?” Roman asked.

“Remus is going to jump off of the roof into the pool! You don’t wanna miss this, it’s gonna be epic!”

Roman’s eyes widened, “He’s _what?!_ ”

Roman turned to Virgil, “I- Do you mind? I gotta go and make sure my brother doesn’t kill himself.”

Virgil waved him off with a slight smile, “Yeah, of course, go.” He said, voice raised over the noise.

Roman sent him a grateful look before pushing through the crowd towards the backyard, following Remus’s friend. 

Sure enough, when Roman got out into the backyard, he was met with the spectacle of a large crowd of teenagers looking up at the roof, where Remus stood, hands on his hips and a huge grin on his face.

Roman rolled his eyes so hard that it hurt. _Why_ did he have to have the most idiotic sibling in the universe?

Roman cupped his hands around his mouth, “REMUS! GET DOWN FROM THERE!”

Remus’s head snapped over to the sound of his brother’s voice. When he saw Roman, his grin widened. “ROMAN!” He yelled. “I’M GOING TO JUMP INTO THE POOL!”

Roman let out a sigh, “NO, YOU ARE NOT, MORON! THE HOUSE IS TWO STORIES HIGH!”

Remus put a hand around one of his ears, “WHAT WAS THAT?!” He asked. “YOU THINK IT’S A GOOD IDEA?”

“NO, I- YOU KNOW THAT’S NOT WHAT I-“

“THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!” With that, Remus ran and jumped off the roof. 

For a split second, the world went slow. 

Remus was in mid-air, careening downwards with his knees tucked under him. Roman was fairly certain he was in the midst of having a heart attack. What if he missed? What if he missed? He was going to miss. He was going to-

Remus landed in the water with a splash, and Roman exhaled a sigh of relief.

All around, people were whooping and cheering for Remus, who was grinning in the center of the pool, his costume soaked through. Roman approached one side of the pool, and Remus swam over, emanating smugness.

“Told you I could do it.” Remus said.

“I despise you.” Roman told him.

“Aw, don’t be like that, Roman! The worst I was risking was a couple broken legs.”

Roman shook his head, “You are the worst.”

Remus batted his eyes like he had received a compliment, “Stop it, I’m blushing.”

Roman rolled his eyes.

Remus swam closer and propped his elbows up at the edge of the pool, “Speaking of blushing.. where’s your boyfriend?”

Roman flushed, “ _He’s not my_ -“ He stopped when he saw the way Remus’s face lit up. “I left him inside because someone was trying to get himself killed.”

“Oh, _please_.” Remus said. “You’re such a drama queen, Roman. _I’m_ fine. _You_ , on the other hand, are in serious need of-“

Roman put up a hand, “ _Alright_ , I’ve heard enough, I’m going back in.”

It took Roman a little while to find Virgil again. When he did, a frown crept onto his face. Something was wrong.

Virgil was standing in a corner near where they had been before. However, he did not look nearly as calm anymore. He had his arms wrapped around himself, and his eyes drawn shut, as if trying to block out the world around him. 

Had something happened while Roman was gone?

Roman approached Virgil carefully, “Virgil?” He said. “Are you alright?”

When Virgil didn’t respond, Roman’s frown deepened, “Virgil?” He put a hand on his shoulder, “Hey, are you okay?” He asked, leaning in close so he could be heard.

Virgil flinched a little at the contact, his eyes snapping open. It seemed to take him a moment to focus on Roman, and when he did, his eyes widened.

“Ro-Roman?” He murmured.

Roman couldn’t hear him, but he could read his lips. He seemed lost and frightened, like a stray cat.

Roman rubbed a circle on Virgil’s shoulder with his thumb, “Yeah, it’s me.” He said. “Are you alright?”

Virgil started to nod, but stopped half-way, probably realizing how transparent that would be. Instead, he clenched his eyes shut and shook his head.

“What’s wrong?” Roman asked.

Virgil muttered something.

“Pardon?”

“Sensory overload.” Virgil repeated. “I’m sorry, I need- I need to leave-“ He started to walk away, but Roman stepped in front of him.

“Hey, you don’t have to leave- We’ll go somewhere quieter- We’ll go upstairs, would that help?”

Virgil hesitated for a moment, but nodded.

“Okay, come on.” Roman said.

He put an arm around Virgil’s shoulders, guiding him through the crowd towards the stairway. Every so often, he directed a glance towards Virgil, checking to make sure he was alright. 

A small group of girls sat on the stairs with their shoes beside them, talking and typing on their phones. Several of them looked up as Roman and Virgil came to a halt in front of them.

Roman moved so that he stood in front of Virgil, and he flashed a quick smile towards the group, “Excuse us, but may we please get through?” He asked.

There was a beat of silence before the girls began to move, scooting away and standing up to clear a path with a chorus of apologies and affirmations.

“Oh, uh-“

“Yeah, of course!”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to be-“

“Sure, let me just-“

One girl glanced at Virgil, “Is everything alright?”

Roman began to ascend the steps, Virgil at his tail, “Everything’s fine, thank you, we just need to get through real quick.”

Once they got to the top of the stairs, the crowd thinned out significantly. There were a few stragglers, some couples making out and people waiting in line to use the upstairs restroom, but other than that, it was fairly dead.

After knocking at the door to make sure that no couple had decided to use it as a honeymoon suite, Roman opened the door to his room. He flicked on the light and allowed Virgil to enter first, who immediately took a seat on his bed. Roman closed the door, successfully muffling the sounds of the party, before plopping down beside him.

Already, much of the tension had left Virgil’s body, and his breathing was beginning to steady. Roman went to put an arm around him, but changed his mind, not wanting to invade his personal space any more than he already had, 

“Are- Are you alright?” Roman asked. “Is this better?”

Virgil took a few more deep breaths, then angled his head towards Roman, “Yeah,” He offered him a small smile, “This is much better, I- Thank you.”

Roman exhaled a sigh of relief. That was good to hear.

“Ugh,” Virgil shook his head, “I’m so sorry, Roman, I didn’t mean to- to freak you out, or something. It was just so loud, and bright, and I just- I just got overwhelmed. Sorry you had to deal with that.”

Roman frowned, “Virgil, I- You have nothing to apologize for. You couldn’t control it! If anything, _I’m_ the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn’t have left you alone like that.”

“Oh, no, that wasn’t it.” Virgil said. “I had been fighting it back since we got on that dance floor, I just didn’t.. I didn’t want to bother you.” He said.

“Bother me? Virgil, telling me that your uncomfortable isn’t bothering me.” Roman said.

Virgil sat up, “No,” He shook his head, “No, you’re wrong, I- I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have even come to this party in the first place. I have a bad habit of ruining everything. I’m sorry, I should leave-“ He stood up.

“What?! No!” Roman stood, too, “Virgil- What are you talking about?! You’re not ruining anything!”

Virgil brushed his bangs out of his eyes, “Yes, I am, I- You should be downstairs, enjoying your Halloween party, not up in your room trying to calm down some- some _freak_.”

“Not if I really cared about that freak!” Roman shouted.

Quiet. 

Muffled music reaching through the floorboards. Heavy breaths, too close together.

“..You care about me?” Virgil whispered.

“Well, I mean, _yeah_ \- you’re my friend.” It came out as more of a question than a statement. _You’re my friend, right?_ Roman liked to think he was, but he honestly wasn’t sure.

“I am?” Virgil said.

Shit.

“Yes. No? I don’t know. I kind of thought we were- I mean if _you_ don’t think we’re friends, then I guess we’re not, but _I_ consider _you_ a friend.”

“Oh,” Virgil said softly. “If you think that, then- Yeah, I- We’re friends, then, because I definitely want to be your friend.”

Roman laughed, “Alright, glad to have that cleared up.”

“Yeah,” Virgil smiled, “Me too. It’s been a while since I’ve had a friend.”

Roman frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Oh, uh-“ Virgil started to fiddle with the lace coming out of his sleeves, “Sorry, it’s just that- At my old school, before I moved here, I didn’t have the best time. I wasn’t exactly well-liked, I mean. By anyone. Except for my dads, of course, but, you know, that’s not the same.” Virgil let out a nervous chuckle, “What I mean is just that.. you.. not hating me.. It’s a nice change of pace.”

Though Roman couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger at anyone who would try and hurt Virgil, but he smiled at that last statement, “It’s no problem. I do it all the time.”

“What, not hating people?” Virgil said, with a smirk.

Roman laughed, “Yeah.”

“How noble of you.”

Roman mimicked a bow, “I try, I try.” He said.

Virgil let out a loud, melodic laugh, causing Roman’s heart to flutter in his chest. “You’re such a dork.” He said.

“Whatever you say, My Chemical Romance.”

Virgil shoved him lightly, “Shut up.”

While Roman laughed, Virgil began to look around. His brown eyes glimmered in the light, and a small smile lingered on his face. Roman couldn’t help but be reminded of just how _handsome_ Virgil was. He had daydreamed about that face for months. 

He wondered if perhaps he was dreaming now. That would explain the lightness in his head, the disconnection that he felt from the world around him. He had always had an overactive imagination. Perhaps-

“Why do you do that?” 

“Huh?” Roman blinked. Virgil was facing him now, and at some point, he had gotten closer. “Do-Do what?”

Virgil’s brow furrowed, “Stare at me like that.” He responded.

“What- I- I wasn’t- What?!” Roman sputtered. “Staring- I- I wasn’t staring, I was just.. thinking! Zoning out! You just.. happened to be in my line of vision.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, “ _Right_.”

“I _wasn’t!_ ” Roman protested.

“I’m not oblivious, Romeo.” Virgil said. “This isn’t the first time I’ve caught you doing that. So what’s the deal?”

Roman swallowed, “I- I guess I just-“

“Because I don’t want your pity.”

“Um- what?”

“I know that I’m quiet and.. odd and.. new, and I don’t have any friends, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be my friend, just because you feel bad for me. I mean- don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly kind of you, but, I mean.. It’s okay. I’m used to being alone. You don’t have to-“

“Shut up.” Roman said.

Virgil frowned, clearly taken aback, “Uh, fuck you, I’ll shut up when I want to. There’s no point in pretending like-“

“ _Shut up, Virgil!_ ” Roman shouted. Virgil flinched a little, moving away from Roman. Upon seeing this, Roman closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell, I just- With all due respect, emo, I _really_ need you to shut up right now.”

Some of the fear left Virgil’s eyes, but he crossed his arms, still defensive, “Why?”

“You are spectacularly, fantastically wrong.” Roman told him. “I don’t pity you at all, Virge. I don’t talk to you out of pity, I didn’t invite you out of pity, and I-“ Roman let out a laugh, “I’m sorry, it’s just- You are so ridiculously off-base here, Virgil, it’s- it’s rather funny.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, his mouth twitching at the edges, “Alright, Romeo, I get it, I’m wrong.” He said. “What is the reason, then?”

Roman swallowed thickly, “Well, um, that is the.. the thing, uh,” A nervous laugh escaped his lips, “I guess.. I like you because you’re quiet, because you’re odd, and because you’re.. you’re not like anyone else I know- that I’ve ever known. You’re cool, and intriguing, and clever, and funny, and _criminally_ attractive-“ Virgil snorted, and Roman laughed back, “Basically, what I’m saying is that the reason I invited you, and the reason that I.. look at you like that sometimes, is because I-“ 

Roman, stopped speaking and frowned, “What are you doing?” He asked.

Virgil had stuck one of his hands in his mouth. He said something, but it came out as, “I aking I angs ow.”

“Uh.. pardon?” Roman asked.

Virgil pulled his hand out of his mouth, holding a white object between his fingers, “I’m taking my fangs out.” He said.

“..Is now the best time for that?” Roman asked, annoyed. He had been in the middle of an emotional confession of his feelings!

Virgil gave him a look, “Yes.” He said.

Then, he put his hand back in his mouth to remove his other fang.

Roman let out a frustrated sigh, “I don’t know if you _noticed_ , but I was actually trying to tell you something, Count Dracul- _annoying_. I don’t see why you-“

“There we go.” Virgil said, holding the second fake fang.

Roman let out an affronted sound, “ _Excuse me_ , do you _mind?!_ I am _trying_ to-“

Roman’s words were cut off when Virgil pulled him forward by his sash and kissed him.

It was brief, very brief, and it was clumsy, and, in all honesty, it kind of hurt, but Roman didn’t find himself caring very much. After only a second of their lips pressed together, Virgil withdrew a few inches, a searching look in his eyes.

“I.. uh.. was that okay?” He asked.

After a few seconds of staring back at Virgil blankly, Roman remembered how to form words, “Okay? I- Uh- I- You- Yeah. Yeah, it definitely was.”

“Okay. Okay. Good. Cool.” Virgil said.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, both a little dumbfounded. Then, at the same time, they leaned in to kiss again. 

This time, it was slower, more careful. They angled their heads so that their noses didn’t collide. And.. fuck, it was like magic. Warmth flowed over Roman as they kissed, an overwhelming sensation telling him to get closer, do whatever he could to make this last forever. Roman moved a hand to cradle the back of Virgil’s head, feeling his soft hair against his fingers. 

They separated for a second, just to breathe, before meeting again, desperate to continue. Virgil wrapped an arm around Roman’s waist, pressing them even closer and causing Roman to make an undignified noise in the back of his throat. 

Which is when Virgil’s phone started to ring.

At first, they both opted to it ignore it, but when it rang a second time, Virgil reluctantly pulled away.

He let out a sigh, “That’s probably one of my dads. I’m sorry, I should take it..”

They were still only inches away. Roman could feel Virgil’s breath on his face when he spoke. He couldn’t help but let his eyes flit back to Virgil’s lips for a moment. His black lipstick was smudged, which gave Roman a small rush of pride, for some reason. He wanted to tell Virgil to wait, to pull him back in and continue where they left off, but that was stupid- selfish. If Virgil didn’t answer the phone, he would worry his parents, and Roman didn’t want that.

Roman took a step back, “Yeah- uh- you should.”

Virgil gave him one last apologetic look before taking his phone out of his pocket and pressing the button to answer it.

“Hello?” He said.

As Virgil began his call, Roman let out a small sigh. He felt light-headed, like he’d just belted out a high note until he ran out of breath. 

“Everything’s good, Pops.” Virgil said.

Roman plopped down on the bed, resting his chin in his hands.

“No, no one has tried to make me do drugs!” Virgil exclaimed.

Roman stifled a laugh, and Virgil glanced over at him with a “ _Can you believe him?_ ” look. Roman shrugged, but he felt a stupid grin creep onto his face just at being acknowledged. 

He was done for.

“Yeah.” Virgil said. “Yeah, I know. I will. Ten o’ clock, got it.” He rolled his eyes fondly, “Yes, _okay_ ,” He laughed, “I love you too. Bye.”

As soon as Virgil hung up, he turned to Roman, “I am _so sorry_ about that.” He said.

“Oh, uh, it’s fine.” Roman said. “Was something the matter?”

Virgil rolled his eyes again, “No, everything is fine. My parents are just overprotective of me. Considering the fact that I’ve never been to a party before, I think they’re expecting something bad to happen to me any moment now.”

“Oh, come now, if anything bad happened, I would protect you.”

Virgil laughed, “Shut up, Romeo, you fucking sap.”

Roman got up and moved closer to Virgil, grinning. Then, he continued to move, closer, closer, and closer, until he was right back to where he had been before, the tips of their noses mere inches apart.

Roman reached up a hand to hold the side of Virgil’s face, “Perhaps so.. but I’m pretty sure, deep down, you are too, Sparrow.”

He didn’t miss the way Virgil’s ears went red before they kissed again.

Later, when it was time for Virgil to leave, Roman walked with him to his car, and he bade him goodbye with one last kiss. Right before Virgil was about to get into his car, Roman spoke up.

“Oh! Hold on.” He said.

Virgil stopped, “What’s up?” He asked.

Roman smiled, “Your lipstick got a little smudged. You might want to fix that before you see your dads.”

“Oh! Wait, really? Crap, thanks for telling me.” Virgil said. 

“Is, uh- Am I good?” Roman asked, gesturing to his own face.

Virgil’s eyes twinkled, “Yeah, you’re good.” He told him.

“Wonderful!” Roman said. “I’ll see you at school, then?”

Virgil smirked, “Yeah.” He said. “I’ll see you at school, Romeo.”

At the end of the party, when the last guest had gone home, Remus turned to his brother with a shit-eating grin.

“You’ve got black lipstick all over your lips from your hot and steamy make-out sesh.”He said.

“What?! No, I don’t.” Roman said.

Remus raised his eyebrows, “Okie dokie, then you don’t have black lipstick all over your lips from your hot and steamy make-out sesh.”

Roman rushed to the bathroom, and, sure enough, when he looked in the mirror, he saw that his mouth was smudged with Virgil’s black lipstick.

Outwardly, he shook his head and let out a laugh of disbelief. 

Inwardly, he felt a deep feeling in his chest that told him he was truly doomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! Fic complete! Hopefully you enjoyed this. If you did, please let me know by leaving a comment!
> 
> Have a wonderful day!

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween! Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment with your thoughts and a kudos if you enjoyed.


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